Title: Under the Rain
Artist: Charlotte’s Shadow
Genre: Gothic Rock
Release Date: 29th January 2010
Label: Danse Macabre
Album Review
CHARLOTTE’S SHADOW is a name I’ve heard kicked around for a few years. Most of what I’ve heard though about this now Germany based trio has been somewhat divisive. While reactions to their previous releases have been largely positive, my virgin ears are still not quite sure what to expect from their latest offering. Having supported the likes of NODFERATU, THE CRÜXSHADOWS and CLAN OF XYMOX I can guess what they are like sound wise, and from the opening of the album I’m quite happily proved right. But throughout the nine tracks something doesn’t quite sit right with me. And it’s a flaw that ultimately scuffs what is otherwise a very good offering.
The album’s opener ‘R.I.P’ starts promisingly enough with its sexy guitar sounds, throbbing bass line and Doktor Avalanche style drum beats - but when the vocals come in I can’t help feel put off by what essentially sounds like a drunken attempt at singing along to THE SISTERS OF MERCY at karaoke. ‘You’re Cruel’ vocally sounds somewhat better than the opener, but the slightly out of time samples so high in the mix do detract from an otherwise pleasant song. ‘Beautiful & Strange’ is another nice hark back to 80’s style Gothic Rock with its sweeping guitars, simple beats and funky synths, but again the vocals seem ill-fitting and detrimental to the track. The title track ‘Under the Rain’ is a fairly simple song with an almost whimsical feel to it and the first fitting vocal performance on the album thus far - it still feels a little haphazard in its mix though.
‘Believe in Me’ is again another great old school sounding Gothic Rock track with great guitar Synth interplay and the vocals do seem more suitable in their delivery here as well making the most solid track on the album to this point. ‘I still Remember’ is a rather groovy and almost proggy little number, but unfortunately those drunken vocals are back and it could have done with a little more time behind the mixing desk. ‘Behind the Door’ like ‘R.I.P’ before it feels very promising musically but unfortunately is held back from realising it’s potential. The penultimate track is a rather contrived “Rocked-up” version of the TEARS FOR FEARS classic ‘Mad World’ (made famous again among Emos and sensitive young teens by the maudlin cover on the Donnie Darko soundtrack) - again those drunk sounding vocals make the song sound like it was being done by a holiday camp club singer. The album finishes on ‘Anything’ that promises again to be a great track but poor mixing and that same vocal delivery really scupper its chances.
On the whole musically this is a great album, the songs sound like they could stand up to a lot of the classics of the genre with their great guitar, bass, and Synth work. Where it’s let down is unfortunately in two very crucial areas - the vocals really grate against you, and the mixing sometimes screws up the song structure. While main man J. Catala has written a very good album, he has also hampered it from becoming a great one. A new vocalist and a bit more time behind the mixing desk would make this band into a big name in the Goth scene.
Tracklist
01. R.I.P
02. You’re Cruel
03. Beautiful & Strange
04. Under The Rain
05. Believe in Me
06. I Still Remember
07. Behind the Door
08. Mad World
09. Anything
Line-up
J. Catala
A. Avalos
Blas Bernal
Websites
http://www.charlottesshadow.com/ / www.myspace.com/charlottesshadowtheband
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 6
Extras: -
Total: 6.5 / 10
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